Quit if you can’t toe party line, PKR veep tells unhappy leaders

(FMT) – A PKR vice-president has told the party’s rebellious leaders to quit if they cannot toe the party line.

This comes amid a war of words between party leaders, most notably vice-president Zuraida Kamaruddin and communications director Fahmi Fadzil, on the sacking of two PKR members on the advice of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

Zuraida had questioned the sacking process and accused the party’s top leadership of being selective in taking disciplinary action.

In a statement, Chang Lih Kang said the decision to sack central committee member Zakaria Abdul Hamid and ordinary member Ismail Dulhadi was made at a central committee council meeting.

“Several senior leaders of the party have voiced their disagreement openly in the media. I would like to remind these leaders that they are part of the decision-making body,” he said.

Chang said the leaders had every right to raise their concerns or objections in the meeting, but not in the media, after a decision was made.

“If you forgo your right to decide, you are not qualified to make a fuss over decisions made by others in the meeting,” he said, adding that collective responsibility should be respected and upheld.

Attending party meetings and respecting the decisions taken, Chang said, were pivotal.

He said the party would not compromise on such principles just to cater to an “unhappy few”.

“If leaders cannot toe the party line, the most honourable thing for them to do is to quit,” he said.

Zakaria and Ismail were dismissed following an MACC investigation into allegations of corruption against them.

However, Zakaria said he had not been informed about any report lodged against him with the disciplinary board, and accused the party of acting without hearing his defence.